Yarn control for knitting machines



Get. 21', 1924. 1,512,891

- W. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 19, 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet l 136/316 3 v WwZJaJamfiEwu/mh@@5aew,

Get. 21, 192 1 1,512,891

W. P DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 19. 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 plmwemzaz miiimmfiz wmheZie-n Oct. 21, 1924. 1,512,891

W. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed pril 19. 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 W. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 19 1923 Get. 21, 1924.

W. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 19 1923 0) eg D k0 m Iii/ZJGFi/ZOF VVjiZZda/mBl) rumhe Z582 Oct. 21,1924.

W. P. DRUMHELLER YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 19 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 fiyg' .1@.

Inva-mi'o? ZZz'awzPDrumE/eZZen a w. P. DRUMHELLl ER Get. 21, 1924.

YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 19 1923 7 Sheets-Sheet. '7

Inveniom:

amli'llrumhele STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1P. DRUMHELLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A SSIGNOR TO WIL- LIAM CARTER COMPANY, OF NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

YARN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed April 19, 1923. Serial N0.,633,140.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. DRUM- HELLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of I-Iampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in .Yarn Controls for Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a'specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Thls invention relates to yarn control for knitting machines, and more particularly to combinations including improved means for effecting a positive, controlled feed of the yarn or yarns to the needles of the machine, or to the needles and the immediately cooperating instrumentalities thereof and including fluttering-absorption vibratory members, and in such a manner as to prevent press-offs in the event of yarn breakage, but I do not here-in claim positive feeding devices per so with the immediately associated guides, as such matter is claimed in my application Serial No. 684,330, which is a continuation as to the common subject matter hereof.

In order that the principle of the inven-' tion may be readily understood, I have disclosed in the accompanying drawings a single embodiment of my invention.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a circular knitting machine of the dial type having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and representing two only of the yarn packages and the means for effecting the positive feed of yarn therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, but taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig.1 and showing a series of yarn packages;

Fig. 4 is a plan view taken from above the entire mechanism but showing parts in dotted lines and parts as broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical central section taken through the upper part of the machine and showing two pairs of feed rolls;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a pair of said feed rolls;

'Fig. 7 is' an end view of the feed rolls shown in Fig. 6, looking from the left in Fig. 6; a

Fig. 8 is anend view of said feed rolls looking from the right in Fig. 6;

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams indicating the operation of the mechanism and the relation of the positive feed to the stop mechanism in preventing press-offs in the event of yarn breakage;

Fig. 11 is a. side elevation of a part of themechanism and showing different posi tions of one of the members thereof;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a somewhat modified form of a part of my invention;

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 12; and

Figs. 14 and 15 are side elevations of said modification viewed from-the left and right in 'Fig. 13.

My invention may be applied to any desired type of knitting machine, as, for ex-. ample, either straight or rotary, and with the latter type it may be employed with a rotated needle cylinder or rotated cam cylinder. I have chosen to represent the invention as applied to a circular type of knitting machine having a rotated needle cylinder and a flat dial. I desire it to be under stood that my invention is not limited to the disclosed or any other particular type of machine, although peculiarly cooperating with the circular type having a plurality of yarn feeds, and especially cooperating with the rib type of circular knitting machine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the bed plate of the machine is indicated at 1 in Fig. 1 as supported upon suitable uprights 2 extending from a base 3. The

cam cylinder is indicated generally at 4, and the dial plate at 5. Upstanding from the dial plate is a central stationary support 6 extending through a cross head 7 itself supported upon suitable posts 8, 9 from the bed plate. Extending upward from the bed plate 1 is a bracket 10 having an inwardly curved upper portion 11 having at its extreme end a cylindrical opening 12 in which is received and secured a central stationary upright 13, which at its lower end sup orts a portion of the stop mechanism 1n 1catedgenerally at 14. Said stop motlon m cludes an upper ring or disk like member 15, an intermediate ring 16 therebelow having pivoted therein a number of vibratory members 17 counterweighted as indicated at 18, the number of said members corresponding to the number of yarns or threads supplied to the needles. Below the ring 16 is a ring 19, over which the various yarnspass, being guided through the eyes 10. 20, 21 of the pivoted members 17.

The central upright 13 carries near its upper end a disk like member 22 from which extend supports for the yarn packages. Sald supports may be of any suitable form,

16 but they are here shown as rods 23 extend- 25 izontal shaft 27. Said shaft 27 is supported at its outer end in a'bearing 28 rovided in a bracket 29 itself carried by t e upper end of a vertical rod or upright 30 supported by a bracket 31, which in turn is suitably 30 supported upon the framing. The main drive shaft of the machine is indicated at 32 as having thereon fast and loose pulleys 33,34 and a beveled pinion 35 by means of which the needle cylinder is rotated. From 35 said main drive shaft 32 extend suitable connections not herein necessary to indicate for imparting rotary movement to a vertical shaft 36 which at its upper end hasa beveled pinion 37 meshing with and driving a simi- .lar pinion 38 fast upon the said shaft 27,

thereby rotating the latter at suitable speed. Upon the inner end of the shaft 27 is fast a beveled pinion 39 meshing with an annular series of teeth 40 upon the upper face of a" plate gear 41, the hub 42 whereof is support ed loosely upon the hub like portion 43 of the base plate or portion 44 ofthe head 25. The plate gear 41 is provided at its lower face at its outer edge with gear teeth 45 meshing with and driving a series of beveled pinions 46 corresponding in number to the number of yarns or threads fed to the machine,-that is, to thenumber of yarn or thread packages 24. The said beveled pinions 46 are supported in circularserie's, and each is fast upon the inner end'of a short horizontal shaft 47 having suitable bearing in the upright flange 48 of the base plate 44 of the head 25. Each of the said short shafts 47 extends through 60 a bracket 49 individual to each shaft 47,

and which is itself supported by a fixed stud or rod 50, one end of which is secured by set screw 51 in a suitable socket 52 in said bracket. Each stud or red 50 is in substantial parallelism. with its shaft 47 head 25.

The shafts 47 radiate from the head 25, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4, and thus each supports in proper position a pair of said feed rolls. Upon theother end of each shaft 47 is fast one roll 53 of a pair of such feed rolls. Said feed rolls may beof any suitable nature, but are now for best results provided with teeth, such as shown at 54 on feed roll 53, and the rolls are preferably slightly conical as indicated. Each feed roll 53 may at its inner end or base abut against the bracket 49 pertaining thereto. The teeth 54 of each roll 53 mesh throughout their entire length or a suitable portion of their length only with the teeth 55 of a similar feed roll 56 constituting the other member of the pair, and which is loose upon a short stud shaft 57 mount (1 as herelnafter described; Thus, one member of each pair of feed rolls 53, 56 is directly and positively driven, and the other meinber of each pair is driven from the driven member of the 3.11. t p I have stated that the teeth of the rolls 53, 56 mesh throughout their entire length or any desired part thereof. The extent of meshing engagement of the teeth is desirably controlled through manual adjustment. For this purpose I desirably render the roll 56 adjustable toward and from the roll 53,, and for this purpose, as shown -most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, I have mounted the stud 57 upon the arm 58 of the bell-crank lever 59 itself pivoted at 60 upon the bracket 49 and having an arm 61 extending in substantial parallelism with the edge of the bracket 49, as shown clearly in Fig. 8. Said arm 61 is provided with-an opening 62 near its end receiving a. threaded pin 63, the inner end of which is tapped into an opening in the bracket 49. The outer end of said pin 63 receives. an adjusting nut 64 and .a check nut 65, by means of which the extent of meshing of the roll 56 with the roll 53 may be very accurately determined. Desirably I provide a coil spring 66 between the arm 61 of the bell crank lever 59 and the bracket 49, tending to move said arm 61 outward.

Each pair of feed rolls 53, 56 is so positioned that a fixed thread guide for introducing the yarn or thread between the rolls is preferably in exact line with the axis of the yarn package 24 pertaining to sa1d feed rolls, such axially positioned guide being for best results the guide 6 nearest the upper or delivery end of the sa1d yarn pack a e.

This relation of parts is clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 9. If desired and as shown in said Eigs. 2 and 9, I provide an arm 67 which extends from the head 25, as shown in Fig. 1 and terminates in an eye constitutinga knotcatcher but permitting the ready passage of the thread or yarn with suflicient freedom and lateral motion to take care of the ballooning thereof.

The eye or opening in the end of the arm 67 is itself as already indicated desirably exactly in line with the vertical axis of the corresponding yarn package 24 and is of the sufliciently large size indicated.

.Herein shown as immediately above the eye in said arm 67 if said arm be employed, and directly in line with the vertical axis of the corresponding yarn package 24 if the arm 67 with its eye be not provided, is the eye or guide 68 of a. fixed butmanually adjustable arm 69'. Said eye or guide 68 is relatively close to the bight or meshing line of the feed rolls 53, 56, as hereinafter explained, and I have herein shown the yarn or thread 70 from the yarn package 24 as passing through said eye 68 at a point in line with the vertical axis of said yarn package 24, but I am not necessarily limited to this construction. The said yarn or thread 70 passes between the pair of feed rolls 53, 56 and at the opposite side of said rolls asses through the eye 71 of a second arm 2 desirably corresponding in all respects to the arm 69 and likewise manually adjustable, but as hereinafter pointed out, it is not so important that the eye 71 be relatively close to the bight of the feed rolls 53, 56. i

In- Fig. 6, I have shown the preferred means for manually adjusting the arm 69,

and it is to be understood that the arm 72 is similarly adjustable. As clearly shown in Fig. 6, the arm 69 is provided with an elongated slot 73 through which asses a pin or screw 74 adjustably received in the bracket 49. The construction is such thatby loosening the pin or screw 74, arm 69 may be slid in a direction lengthwise the slot or turned so as to bring it into 56, but in line with the bight thereof, after which the pin or screw 74 1S tightened, thus securing the said arm 69 fixedly in position.

The yarn or thread is in the operation of the machine positively drawn from each yarn package 24 by the rotation of the feed -rolls 53, 56 pertainlng thereto. The distance the other hand, the top ofthe yarn package 24 be more-than about twelve inches below the eye or guide 68 (or the eye in the arm' 67), a compound ballooning efiect results the desired position lengthwise .of the feed rolls 53,.

which in itself prevents the proper feeding of the yarn.

Thus, it Wlll be observed that there is a short length of yarn between each yarn package 24 and its pair of feed rolls 53 and 56. Desirably directly above each pair of feed rolls is a suitable yarn guide and the yarn after passing through the eye of such guide 80 extends downward as in.- dicated at'81 to the corresponding arm 17 of the stop motion passing through the eyes 20 and 21 thereof, as clearly indicated in the diagrammatic views Figs. 9 and 10. As already stated, the yarn in passing through theeyes 20, 21 is guided to the outer face of the ring 19. Below said ring 19 is desirably positioned-still yarn passes thereover directlyto the needles of the machine a relatively short distance therefrom, through guide 82'.

The fixed but manually adjustable finger 69 has its eye or guide 68 of sufficient size for the yarn to pass through freely. As stated, this eye or the eye in arm 67 if the latter be employed is in vertical alignment with the axis of the yarn package 24 beneath' it and the yarnlis fed off the packanother ring 82 and the J age by a ballooning motion inherent in the feed of yarn. Such ballooning motion causes a constant fluttering of the yarn in the eye or guide 68. Such' fluttering may be somewhat reduced if the arm 67 is provided, but in.any case a flutter always exists ofthe yarn or thread'in said eye or guide 68, and thus there is a constant slight flutter of the 'yarn as it enters the bight of the feed rolls 53, 56. This slight flutter is apparently caused by the ballooning of the yarn or thread as it leaves the yarn package 24 and is always present.

The ballooning of the yarn off its package and local irregularities in feed of the yarn ofi its package due to such causes as slight variations in the tension of the yarn or slight variations at intervals in the diameter of the same yarn, cause a constant fluttering of the yarn at the eye in the arm 67, if such arm be provided, and at the eye 68.. This constant fluttering is,-as I have stated, absorbed or compensated for by the several vibratory members 17. therefore, that this fluttering of the yarn or thread does not break the 68 were not so constructed and were net so located with respect to the feed rolls at the in-feeding side as'to permit the slight fluttering of the yarn to be rectified, compensated or taken care of at the vibratory meniber-s17. Thus, not only should the size of theopening in the eye 68 or other guide be such as to permit the yarn to pass with suffi cient freedom, but said eye or other guide should notice so close up to the bight of the feed rolls that there is not sufiiclent distance It is important,

yarn or thread at I ,the feed rolls, as would be the case if the eye or thread from single 6s, cotton number to. a single thread of one end Japan silk, which is equivalent to a single 340 cotton. Desirably the eye 68 should be at least 1 or more from the bight of the feed rolls, if I rely upon vibratory members, as herein explained, to compensate for the fluttering of the yarn. The said eye68 or. other guide for the yarn at the infeeding side of the feed rolls must be far enough from the bight of said rolls to permit the yarn to vibrateor flutter between the said eye and the said feed rolls.

As stated, the yarn or thread passes from the feed rolls 53, 56 up through a guide 80,

of the stop motion and then to the needles. The said pivoted arm 17 of the stop motion has a very. slight oscillating movement which exactly takes up the slight flutter of the yarn at the feed rolls. Thus, if the parts work properly, the said slight flutter is taken care of by the movement of the stop arm 17, so that there is a direct cooperation between the parts and including a stop motion having a movable arm or member.

With.the yarn positively fed as described any breaking of the yarn, as, for example, from the existence of a knot therein, always occurs between the su ply package 24 and the pair of feed rols 53, 56 pertaining thereto, and there is a suflicient extent or length of yarn between said feed rolls and the needles to prevent any press-off. That is, there is suflicient length of the yarn or thread between said feed rolls and the needles to permit the machine to be brought to rest bythe operation of the stop mechanism before the broken end of the yarn reaches the needles. It will be evident from the drawings that the length of yarn between each pair of the feed rolls 53 and 56 and the needles is a number of times greater than the" length of yarn between said feed rolls and the yarn package 24. Desirably each yarn package 24 is placed about ten inches above the dial plate of the machine, and each yarn or thread, after passing through the feed rolls, runs several feet before it reaches the needles.

So far as Iam aware, I am the first to confine any break of the yarn or thread between the yarn supply or package and positions of the arm 17 marked pos1t1ons a and 6 correspond and then down through the pivoted arm 17 two rolls.

tive feed rolls or members for the yarn or thread.

For simplicity of operation, the stop mechanism which in itself may be of any desired type, but involving a movable arm or member, is actuated by the same arm which takes care of or absorbs or compensates for the fluttering of the yarn or thread. Referring to the disclosed form of stop motion, it is evident that the vibrating arm 17 of the stop motion, which arm functions to absorb, take care of or compensate for the fluttering of the yarn, is itself connected with the stop motion, so as to stop the machine in the event of an undue movement of said arm. Thus there is in effect effect a double one, in that said movable arm first takes care of, absorbs or compensates for the constant fluttering to which I have re'ferred,and second, said arm actuates the stop motion proper.

In Fig. .11 I have indicated three posia b and a. The

to and illustrate the constant vibration of the arm incident to the fluttering of the yarn or thread. The position 0 indicates the position assumed by the arm 17, if the yarn breaks between the yarn package 24 and the feed rolls. The movement of the arm 17 to the position 'c acts through movement of a wire or rod 83, shown in Fig. 1, to turn through suitable mechanism an upright shaft 84, and thereby to effect the shipping of the belt from the fast pulley 33 to the loose pulley 34 in a manner which need not be more fully described. I X

In Figs. 12 to 15 inclusive, I have shown a modified embodiment of a portion of my I mechanism and constituting the preferred embodiment.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, I have represented-each set of feed rolls as composed of In the modified form, of the invention, I have represented each set of rolls as composed of three rolls which are so arranged that the thread cannot slip but is fed with essentiallyabsolute accuracy.

Such of the parts as are common to the construction shown in Figs. 12 to 15 and Figs. 5 to 8 are in the former figures represented by the same reference numeral withv a prime attached. Except as now to be described, the construction is desirably the same as that "shown in Figs. 5 to 8.

The shaft 47 shown most clearly in Figs. 14 and 15 has fast thereon the feed roll 53' and positioned therebelow is the roll 56.

Mountedabove the roll 53' is an additional,

feed roll 85 mounted for rotation from or by the roll 53; Said roll 85 is pivotedat' 86 upon an arm 87 itself pivoted at 88. The

arm 87'constitutes one arm of a 'bell' crank itself rigidly secured at 94 to an arm 95 pivoted for turning adjustment at 96. The arm 61 is provided at its opppsite end with an eye 97. The thread as shown in Fig. 13 is introduced between the feed roll 53' and the feed roll 56 and passing about the roll 53' and between said roll and the feed roll 85 passes, through the eye 97, and thence toward the point of use. After passing between the rolls 53' and 56' the thread passes through a guide 98 supported in any suitable manner.

What has previously been said with re- I spect to the form and construction of the I ployed.

pair of feed rolls equally applies with respect to thetriple set of feed rolls. Preferably the toothed formation of rolls is em- Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims: a

1. Positive yarn feed and press-off pre-- venting mechanism for knitting machines comprising, in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, positive yarn feeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively relatively close to said yarn package or packages, a guide for each yarn at each positive feeding means and constructed and located sufiicient- 1y distant from said feeding means to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package andv thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, and stop motion means betweeif the needles and the positive feeding means and having a vi-' bratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the positive feeding means and excess or abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-01f upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package andth e corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

2. Positive yarn feeding and press-off preventing mechanism for knitting machines comprising, in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, positive yarn feeding rolls acting continuously to feed the yarn and arranged in pairs respectively close to said yarn package or packages, a guide for each yarn at such feed rolls and constructed and located sufliciently distant from said feedrolls to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit conserapgnt fluttering of the yarn at said fee g rolls, and stop motion means between the needles and the pairs of positive feeding rolls and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory'movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fiutterin movements of the yarn at the positive fee ing means and excess or abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feedinig means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-ofi' upon occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

3. Positive yarrr feed and press-off preventing mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, means to support one or moreyarn packages, a pair of toothed feed'rolls relatively close to the yarn package or packages and between which the yarn is positively fed, a guide for each yarn at its feed rolls and constructed and located sufficiently' distant from said feed rolls to accommodate ballooning or other irregularitiesof delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding rolls, and stop motion means between the needles and the pairs-of positive feeding rolls and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movements of the yarn at the positive feeding means and excess or abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and-the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-off upon occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn feeding means. 1

4. Positive yarn-feed and press-off preventin mechanism for knitting machines comprising, in combination, means to suport one or more yarn packages, a pair of toothed feed rolls acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively close to said yarn feeding means.

yarn package or packages with means for positively driving one member of each pair of rolls, thereby to effect the positive feeding of the yarn'between the rolls, a guide for each yarn at such feed rolls and constructed and located sufliciently distant from said feed rolls to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding rolls, and stop motion means between the needles and-the pairs of positive feeding rolls and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movements of the yarn at the positive feeding means, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent pressofl upon occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive 5. Positive yarn feed and press-pff preventing mechanism for knitting dnachines comprising, in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, positive yarnfeeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively relatively close to said yarn package or packages, a 'fixed guide for each yarn at its positive feeding means but providedwith an eye of sufficient size and sufliciently distant from the said feeding means to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn ofi its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, and stop motion means between the needles and the positive feeding means and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the positive feeding means and excess or abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve tostop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-off upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn .feeding means. j 7 6. Positive yarn feed and press-off preventing mechanism for lmitting machines comprising, in combination, means to. support one or more yarn packages, positive yarn feeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively relatively close to said yarn package or packages,'a fixed but manually adjustable gulde for each yarn at its positive varn feeding means and constructed and located sufiiciently distant from said feeding means to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, and stop motion means between the needles and the positive feeding means and having a vibratory yarn receiving'member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the positive feeding means and excess or abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feed- ,ing means as to prevent press-off upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn feedlng means.

7. Positive yarn feed and press-off mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages upon vertical axes, positive yarn feeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively'relatively close to said yarn package or packages and positioned respectively directly over said package or packages, a stationary guide for each yarn at its yarn feeding means, and constructed and located sufficiently distant from said feeding means to accommodate. ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn for its package and thus to permit consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, such guide being directly in line with the vertical axis of its yarn package, stop motion means between the needles apd the positive feeding means and havin a vibratory yarn receivin member, only the minimum or normal vi ratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the positive feeding means and excess or' abnormal vibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent pressofi' upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarn packages and the corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

8, Positive yarn feed and press-off mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, means to support a plurality of yarn packages with their longitudinal axes vertical, a pair of positive yarn feeding rolls acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively close to said yarn packages and directly thereover, a fixed but manually adjustable guide for each 'yarn at its pair of feed rolls and having its eye iii line with the vertical axis of said yarn package, and constructed and located 'sufliciently distant from said feeding rolls to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn oil? such package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding rolls, stop motion means between the needles and the pair of positive feeding rolls, and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movements of the yarn at the yarn feeding rolls, the distance between the positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length ofyarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-off upon occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

9. Positive yarn feeding and press-ofi' preventing mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, positive yarn feeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located respectively close to said yarn package or "packages, a guide for each yarn at each positive feeding means and constructed and located sufficiently distant from said feeding means to accommodate ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of theyarn at said feeding means, the said guide at each said feeding means having a fixed position but being manually incrementally adjustable along said feeding means, and stop motion means between the needles and the positive feeding, means and having a vibratory yarn receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the positive feeding means, and excess or abnormal yibratory movements whereof serve to stop the knitting mechanism, the distance between the said positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press oif upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarn package and the corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

10. Positive yarn feed and press-01f preventing mechanism for knitting machines comprising, in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, a plurality of taperin feed rolls between and by which the yarn is positively fed continuously to the needles, said feed rolls bein respectively located relatively close to sai yarn package or packages, a guide for, each yarn at said feeding rolls and constructed and located sufliciently distant from said feed rolls to accommodate the ballooning or other 10- cal irregularities of delivery of the yarn off its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, each said guide having a fixed position relatively close to the meeting line of said rolls but being manually incrementally adjustable therealong, and stop motion means between the needles and said rolls and having a vibratory yarn-receiving member, only the minimum or normal vibratory movements whereof compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn at the said rolls, and excess or abnormal vibratory movement whereof serve to stop the mechanism, the distance between said rolls and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and thesaid rolls as to prevent press-01f upon the occurrence of yarn break between the yarn package and the corresponding rolls.

11. Positive yarn feed and press-off preventing mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, means to support one or more yarn packages, positive yarn feeding means acting continuously to feed the yarn and located, respectively relatively close to said yarn package or packages, a guide for each yarn at each positive feeding means and constructed and located sufiiciently distant from said feeding means to accommodate the ballooning or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn ofi its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, and a fluttering-absorption vibratory member positioned between said feeding means and the needles and acting to receive the yarn and compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of the yarn atkthe positive feeding means, the distance "between said positive yarn feeding means and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the positive yarn feeding means as to prevent press-off upon the occurrence of yarn break. between a yarn package and a corresponding positive yarn feeding means.

12. Positive yarn feeding and press-off preventing mechanism for knitting maing or other local irregularities of delivery of the yarn ofi its package and thus to permit the consequent fluttering of the yarn at said feeding means, and a fluttering-absorption vibratory member to-receive the yarn on its way from said feeding rolls to the needles andserving to compensate for and absorb the said fluttering movement of'the yarn at the positive feeding means at the said feed rolls, the distance betv veen said feed rolls and the needles having such relation to the length of yarn between the yarn package and the feed rolls pertaining thereto as to pi'event press-off upon the occurrence of yarn break between a yarmpa'ck age and its feed rolls.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 

